I Looked Across and Fell In Love
by edgeofmyemotions
Summary: Because no matter when or where, how or why, the red thread will always bring me back to you. My collection of JeanSasha one shots (both from my tumblr and my head) put into one place for convenience. Mostly AU. Updates randomly.
1. Reincarnation

**A/N: Been a while since I've been here. But alas, I ship this couple way too much to not write anything. The title's derived from Ed Sheeran's _All of the Stars_, mainly because it's on of my favorite lyrics ever and it just suits this fic way too perfectly.**

**If you follow my other JeanSasha fanfic, _Your Life in Someone Else's Eyes_, I'll be putting another AN at the end of this fic regarding it. And it's all good news, don't you worry. If you don't follow YLISEE, mind taking a look? **

**I own nothing but this story. Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan belongs to Hajime Isayama and All of the Stars to Ed Sheeran.**

* * *

It was yet another night at the villa they were staying for the time being. It was Jean and Sasha's shift this time and for the most part they had spend their time in complete,uneventful silence.

It was broken however when Sasha spoke.

"Say Jean?"

He turned to her with a yawn. "Yeah?"

"Do you believe in reincarnation?"

"Reincar-what?"

"You know, rebirth? Afterlife? All that crap you heard from those gypsies and crazy people along the streets when we were undercover?"

Jean pursed his lips before answering. "Well having a life other than this shit storm we're insounds a lot better. So yeah, I guess I do."

She smiled but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah I figured you'd say something like that…" shelet out a sigh and leaned against the wall behind them. "Imagine this then, when we all have died…do you think we'd meet again in the next life?"

Jean narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "Just what are you getting at Potato Girl?"

"I love all of you guys." she said quietly. "I love all of you so much and if I were to die soon I'd rather stay dead than live a new life without meeting any of you."

"Wait just a second Sasha. You're not gonna die soon alright?" he let out a sigh 'cause _dammit_ he's not good at comforting people. "This will all be over soon and the only time you'll be dying is when you're at least eighty-five and lying in bed surrounded by your cats. Alright?"

She only nodded in reply. Somehow that signaled their conversation to end. The rest of their shift had been in silence after that. By the time Connie and Mikasa had arrived for a swap they walked back to the lodging, side by side.

It wasn't until when they were at the entrance when Sasha suddenly stopped.

"Hey Jean?"

"What now?"

She quickly pecked his cheek. "Thank you."

Without another word she had opened the door and fled to her room.

Levi had appeared from the kitchen. "Welcome back. It's high time you get some sleep."

Suddenly the Captain's eyes narrowed.

"What are you smiling for Kirstein?"

"Nothing sir."

* * *

He doesn't remember how it happened. It had all been a blur to him, except for someone knocking him out of the way from a Titan's grasp and a blood-curdling scream.

It wasn't supposed to happen but it did and now here he was, kneeling Sasha's barely conscious form, tears blurring his vision and hand grasping hers.

"Sasha? Goddamit please say something." he whispered. He snapped his eyes closed and pressed his ear against her chest to at least hear a heartbeat.

"Sasha, for the love of god please tell me you're still alive."

If he hadn't been completely focused on her he wouldn't have heard her whisper.

"Jean?"

His head snapped up and his eyes met her face.

"Sasha, oh thank god-"

She squeezed his hand. "Jean…don't…I don't have much longer. This is where I'm done-"

"Sasha no don't say that-"

"No." she strained to say. "Just promise you'll find me in the next life Jean."

Her grip on his hand hand begun to waver.

"No don't you dare die on me-"

"I love you." She whispered more like an afterthought than anything else.

Her hand had already fallen out of his grasp and another Titan had already appeared before he was able to reply.

* * *

Jean stood in front of the makeshift grave they had built and placed on the villa they stayed at. It was nothing more than two planks of wood tied together to form a cross with a separate plank that bore her name nailed across the center of it. He placed the bouquet of lilies on the ground in front of it with a grimace.

Without another word he left, walking back to might as well be the last expedition outside the walls.

They were finally gone. It was finally over. The Titans have been completely eradicated and now humanity can live in peace. They had emerged victorious, despite all the casualties in the final battle.

Jean had ended up being one of them.

He doesn't remember how he died. He can feel a dull ache were he possibly might've been struck by a Titan but other than that he can't feel a thing.

Now as he stands in this room filled with blinding light he can't help but stare at the sight before him.

"Sasha?"

She smiles back. Her hair's out of its usual ponytail and she's wearing a white dress that makes her look sort of immaculate and holy but somehow Jean hadn't processed that thought yet because _holy shit she's here and I found her. _

"I can't say I'm not glad to see you, Jean."

He walked over closer to her. "I'm guessing I'm dead, huh?"

She nodded. "Sadly, yes."

"Is all that stuff about reincarnation true? Will I be reborn into a new life?"

She nodded again. "Marco's already a little bit ahead on that. Along with Mina and the others."

"What about you?"

She shakes her head this time. "Something's been holding me back. Most likely you."

The memory of her last words flashed through his mind. He smirked. "I distinctly remember you telling me you loved me?"

She flushed a few shades of red and looked away before nodding. "I didn't think you would've actually heard that."

"We all did." he dropped the smirk and replaced it with a softer look in his eyes. "Do you still?"

She met his gaze and smiled softly. "I probably always will."

He garners in a breath. "I know it's really late but…"

She held up a hand to stop him. "I know Jean. But now you need to go to your new life." a blinding white light flashed and she started to vanish in it. "I hope I meet you then."

"Wait Sasha-"

* * *

Jean woke up with a start.

_Weird dream_, he thought as he sat up. He grabbed his phone from his nightstand and peered at the screen.

**7:45**

_First day of school and I'm gonna be late. Great._

He can definitely blame this on his best friend Marco for not reminding him the night before to set his alarm clock. The idiot was way too preoccupied with his girlfriend Mina to remember.

In a panic induced blur Jean managed to get dressed and grab a piece of toast from the kitchen before zipping through the door, bag half open and slung over his shoulder.

Though to be honest, he wasn't sure if you can blame his state of rush for how he bumped head first into a girl in the empty hallway.

After stumbling on his feet to get up he offered her a hand. "Sorry." he mumbled under his breath.

"Its alright." she said as she took his hand with a smile.

"Umm can I ask a favor?" she asked after she dusted herself off.

"Hm?"

"I was hoping maybe you could help me get to first period? I'm kinda new around here." she handed him her schedule.

"Sure." he said as he took it into his hands.

_Guess we have the same first period_, he thought.

Jean's eyes drifted toward the name that was printed at the very top.

_Sasha Braus_

For whatever reason he found himself smiling.

"I've never seen anyone look so happy at a schedule before." she teased. "Find anything interesting?"

He shook his head but that did nothing to shake the smile off his face. Jean looked up and met her quizzical smile. "Nothing in particular. We have the same subjects for first up to fourth period along with sixth and seventh. I can accompany you to them if you want." he said as he handed the schedule back over to her.

She smiled brighter than what he thought humanly possible. "That'd be great."

As he started their pace towards Professor Smith's classroom, Jean held his hand out for her.

"I'm Jean by the way."

She shook it with another smile. "I'm Sasha. But I'm guessing you already knew that."

He only smiled back in reply.

_You're damn right I do._

* * *

**A/N: And there you have it. The opening chapter. Hope you liked it. **

**Now if you scrolled all the way down here for the news on YLISEE, with or without actually reading the story, I'm just here to tell all of you lovelies that I'm not giving up on my story. Never considered it once and I never will. School had just been hectic for the past few months, and if you add that to the practices for one performance or another, squeezing in time to write was getting harder and harder. You can say that I went on a bit of a hiatus. But don't worry, I'm already in the middle of my summer break and I have most of the next chapter done, along with key scenes for the chapter after it. I can't really give a specific date on when I'll be able to post the finished thing, but let me know if you want me to post a sneak peak on my tumblr. I've been contemplating it but I needed a sign I guess. Follow me on hearmyvoiceoftreason . tumblr . com (no spaces of course)or you can search for my blog title The Voice of Treason.**

**And to that particular Anon/Guest who left me two all caps reviews (you know who you are, this is the only way I can seem to talk to you), I just wanna thank you personally. Honestly, your timing couldn't be any better and frankly you kind of alarmed me but still. And no, I love you. Never did I ever expect that my first multichapter fic would turn out like this. And thanks to all you other lovelies who reviewed, favorited and followed YLISEE! I never would've made it this far without any of you. **

**till next time my lovelies (^o^)V**

**edgeofmyemotions**


	2. So We Meet Again

**A/N: Hello my lovelies! Sorry for the inactivity! Here's Part 2 to the opening chapter, but I'm pretty sure it can stand on its own. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but this story and my writing. **

* * *

Jean stood in front of the makeshift grave they had built and placed on the villa they stayed at. It was nothing more than two planks of wood tied together to form a cross with a separate plank that bore her name nailed across the center of it. He placed the bouquet of lilies on the ground in front of it with a grimace.

Without another word he left, walking back to might as well be the last expedition outside the walls.

_I promise I'll find you Sasha. Just you wait._

* * *

They were finally gone. It was finally over. The Titans have been completely eradicated and now humanity can live in peace. They had emerged victorious, despite all the casualties in the final battle.

Jean had ended up being one of them.

He doesn't remember how he died. He can feel a dull ache were he possibly might've been struck by a Titan but other than that he can't feel a thing.

Now as he closes his eyes, Jean paid no heed to Eren's tear-filled and confused gaze as he smiles.

_I'm almost there Sasha. Just you wait._

* * *

Apparently Sasha's assumptions on reincarnation were as true as they can get. He wasn't sure if retaining memories from his past life was supposed to be part of the whole rebirth thing but nonetheless by the age of fifteen in his new he started setting out to find her.

The year was 1923 in Tokyo, Japan. In all honesty he doesn't get how he was able to get used to the new language so easily and how he looked a little less like himself and more like the people around him but then again how there was a lot of things he didn't get about reincarnation and afterlife and all that stuff. That included actually finding _here_ of all places oh-so conveniently.

The sun was shining when he sees her, eyes as wide and as brown as ever as they look back at him with equal surprise.

Her hair was a shade or two darker, almost black but still in its trademark ponytail, and she stood at least an inch or two shorter than he remembers and it was possible that it could've been someone else.

But no.

He knew those eyes anywhere.

Jean swallows a lump in his throat and walks towards her slowly, still completely unsure of what exactly to do.

"Hey." She says when he was within close enough proximity.

He's completely frozen, because really, what are you supposed to do when you finally find the girl you promised to look for in the afterlife? Should he say hello in return? Hug her? Kiss her?

Sadly none of his questions were answered when the ground shook violently beneath them, and the building beside them had begun to collapse.

* * *

Jean shoved the memory away with a shake of his head and a sigh.

_Why the hell am I remembering this now of all times? _

Right now it was around the 1940s, somewhere in the middle of the second World War.

In this life Jean had joined the military in hopes that she would've joined as well. He had found out a month too late that there were hardly any female soldiers in this era so he was left in a rut without any sort of lead to finding her.

Apparently fate, destiny or whatever you'd like to call it had other plans for him.

He had gotten shot in the leg and had been carried over to a medical tent by his comrades in the nick of time.

That's when he saw her again. She a looked a lot more like her old self, her hair back to its original shade of auburn and her eyes still wide and sparkling as she looks at him and his teammates as they gently set him on the stretcher.

The only difference was the nurse's cap resting atop her head and the white uniform that hung from her frame.

"You look awfully happy for someone who just got shot in the leg." she said as she made her way over to him after closing the flaps of the tent behind his subordinates.

It was there that Jean had realized that he had been smiling, searing pain in his leg momentarily forgotten. He watched her sit on the stool beside his bed as she took a closer look at his injury.

"But I guess you should be. The bullet's not in too deep. You're lucky. Any deeper you wouldn't be able to walk anymore."

"How long have you been stationed here?" he asked as she began to tend to his leg. _She probably doesn't recognize me. _Jean thought as he closed his eyes.

"Just recently. I was transferred from the 99th Station to here in the 104th." There was a pause. "You might want something to bite on. This is gonna hurt." He shook his head. "I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse."

His nurse sighed as she pulled out the bullet wound with a pair of tweezers. Jean only gritted his teeth.

After she put the bullet on a metal tray with a soft _ping_ she went on to disinfect the wound. Jean gnashed his teeth again at the sting but said nothing.

"Well I'll be damned. Looks like you _did _get a backbone Jean."

His eyes snapped open to see her smiling down at him.

This time Jean didn't hesitate to sit up and kiss her.

* * *

From then on every last breath of his current life would soon be followed by the first breath of his next one. Every life, at some point the name Sasha would suddenly appear. Every life they would meet. And somehow, even if the memories of their past lives had begun to blur and eventually fade away with every new life, they'd end up falling for each other anyways.

Jean didn't really understand just what sort of force was always tethering him to her but somehow…he couldn't care less.

He could chalk it up to what had gone between them when they were soldiers fighting the Titans. It wasn't much. He knew it was mostly comprised of off-handed insults and narrowly saving each other's lives but it was _something_.

And no matter when or where, how or why, he knew that that something would always bring him back to her.

Always.

* * *

The year was 2014. And for once there wasn't any war to worry about or any sort of unknown force of nature that would stop them from living their lives peacefully.

Jean's in his late teens around this time, and still an undergraduate working up for Law. The reason why he chose this course, he'd never know. What he _does _know however, was the name of the girl who had come in through the door.

He sees her from his seat at a café he had begun to frequent, her eyes focused as she balances a tray with a cup of coffee and a pastry with both of her hands. When she looks up the way her eyes met his was almost instantaneous.

He gives her a small smile.

She smiles back and walks over to him.

"Mind if I join you?" she asks, nodding to the empty seat in front of him.

The café was mostly empty. There were literally half a dozen unoccupied tables behind him.

Jean only shakes his head. "Not at all."

She smiles wider as she sets the tray on her table and takes a seat. "Have we met before?"

"Maybe. Do you go to Trost University?"

"Yeah. Journalism. You?"

"Law."

"Pretentious as always huh?"

He only smiles wider as he takes a sip of his coffee.

* * *

**A/N: And there we have it. Part 2! Now for anyone who's been following YLISEE I'm almost finished, just some more editing. Thanks to anyone and everyone who was patient enough to wait! **

**till next time my lovelies (^o^)V**

**edgeofmyemotions **


	3. Coffee

Prompt:Coffee

* * *

"I said I was sorry!'

Jean all but glared at the girl before him.

"Yeah yeah I heard you the first time."

He wiped off the brown stain on his shirt but to no avail.

_I just had to wear white today_, he grumbled to himself.

It was strange really, the chain of events that lead him to his currrent…_predicament_.

He had just been set up on yet another blind date by his not-so best friend Connie.

And though he really _did _trust the buzz-cut's judgement, he'd really rather not put his dating life in the shorter boy's hands. The last time he set him up Jean had ended up with a short blonde with a case of forever resting bitch face. He could hardly breathe around the girl without thinking that she would punch him straight up the jaw, much less speak. Needless to say, a second date never really came around.

So when Connie first told him about his proposal, he shook his head and waved his hand to say no. The buzz-cut rolled his eyes.

"She's a great girl," he insisted. "She's a good friend of mine. Believe me, you'll be asking for a second date before you know it."

He was about to decline again until Connie suddenly mentioned that he told the girl about the set up first, and that Jean had agreed to it. Jean, being the so-called gentleman that he was (or at least suddenly feeling the need to be a gentleman, you can blame his French descent for that) decided not to let down the girl and nodded.

On his way to a table at the cafe Connie had specified (a Starbucks in the middle of the city near a park,) Jean was in the middle of reading a text from his wannabe matchmaker.

'She's wearing a Blink 182 shirt. She didn't ask her for your number but she wanted me to tell you so you can set her apart.'

_Blink 182? Not bad._

Jean immediately texted back an _Ok_ before putting his phone back in his pocket.

He would've gotten to the table completely fine if Connie hadn't replied.

In the seconds Jean took to take his phone back from inside his pocket and turn it on, he had the misfortune of bumping into a girl who carried a tray of coffee.

You can imagine what played out afterwards.

"Can I at least make it up to you?" she asked after offering him a napkin.

Jean took it and was about to turn back to the walking landslide of a girl with a glare but when he looked back up he instantly regretted it.

_Dear God is she about to cry?_

He sighed. "Alright."

She immediately beamed at him.

"I'm guessing you'd want a Grande drink?"

Jean nodded as he took a seat at the table which, luckily for him, remained unoccupied.

"Yeah. Think you can get me a Latte?"

She nodded back. "Sure."

And with that she left. So Jean waited. She came back holding the paper cups in her hands rather than on a tray.

"Not taking any chances." she said in reply to his quirked eyebrow.

She took the seat across from him as she handed him his drink. "Here."

"Thank you." he was reaching out for it when his eyes wandered down to her chest.

No, not her breasts. Her actual chest.

Or to be more accurate, the chest area of her shirt.

On it was bold white lettering on the shirt's purple background.

_Blink 182_

He froze.

"Sasha?"

The girl cocked her head to the side with furrowed brows.

"Funny, I don't remember telling you my-." her eyes widened and Jean could tell that a grenade of realization exploded in her head as well. "Oh." she nodded, not meeting his gaze. "_OH_." she said much louder. She bit her lip as she slowly met his gaze.

"Jean right?"

He nodded. "Yeah." suddenly he chuckled. "Connie?"

Sasha laughed, suddenly feeling a bit less awkward. "Defifnitely Connie."

"I didn't really expect us to meet well…like this." he gestured to the stain on his shirt that hadn't really done a god job of fading.

She laughed again. "Well, neither did I."

He nodded. "So…Blink 182?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. Best band ever."

"Now I could've sworn that title belonged to Pierce the Veil."

And so began their first date. They spent the better half of it talking and cracking jokes, and though the other half was spent criticizing each other's taste in music, Jean would've been lying if he said he didn't have a good time.

Needless to say, there ended up being a second date.

And a third.

And a fourth.

With long chats and text conversations in between.

It was all fun and great until Jean suddenly had the epiphany that he might have fallen for her. Hard.

_Oh fuck._

So the next time they went on a date (the fifth), he decided to grow himself a pair and confess.

He ended up doing it a lot clumsier than he might have preferred though.

"Listen umm…shit I…uhh…" At that moment Jean found the floorboards rather fascinating.

"Jean?"

"Umm well…I guess you obviously know that you and I have been on a couple dates now and well…how do I put this…"

"Don't worry Jean, I get it."

He choked on his spit in a mix of surprise and panic. "You do?"

She nodded. "I can tell I must've bored the crap out of you."

He snapped his gaze back up so fast his neck hurt. "What?"

Sasha nodded again. "Yeah. You wanna just stay friends right?"

"No that's not what I meant-"

"So…you don't want to see me again? Is that it?"

"What no! I like you, dumbass!" he said as he tapped her forehead.

Jean, realizing his outburst, reeled back and turned back to the floorboards.

_Wow, real smooth Jean._

After a moment's hesitation (and not to mention a nervous sigh,) Jean warily looked back up.

Her smile as soon as he did was the only reply he needed.


	4. Curtain Call

**Prompt: **Show Choir

* * *

"Everyone already went backstage. You ready?"

"No."

Jean narrowed his eyes at Sasha's shaky response. He leaned his full weight against the door frame and crossed his arms.

"You'll be fine."

The look she gave him was almost adorable. Her eyes resembled those of a deer caught in headlights and she was doing that puffy cheek thing when's she's nervous.

"I don't get why Levi and Hanji put me up with this part. On Sectionals of all performances." She said after exhaling nervously. She wrung her hands together and let out another shaky breath.

Jean rolled his eyes.

"Sasha the way you project during rehearsals is more than enough to prove you'll be fine."

She sighed again. "But if I mess up _here_ our season's over."

"You're not gonna mess up."

"Do I have to remind you that this is the first time they've given me a a solo? You on the other hand have been a recurrent soloist since what, sophmore year?"

He rolled his eyes again and made his way over to her. "Just calm the hell down Sasha."

He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "You're forgetting that you're having a duet with me. Technically not a solo."

"But-"

"No no no." he cut her off. "In.." he shifted his wrist to get a beter look at his watch. "Five minutes we're gonna go onstage. So in five minutes you're gonna get your shit together and calm down." she nodded frantically and took a deep breath. "In five minutes we're gonna go onstage together and give the best fucking performance of our lives." she nods again. "And after that performance we're gonna get the wildest and loudest applause than any of the entries in this Sectional. So until then, I need you to keep your calm in five minutes and afterwards okay?"

She nodded for a third time.

"But before that there's something I need to do first."

"What?"

He says nothing as his hands moved up to the sides of her face and his lips crashed down to meet hers.


	5. Take My Hand, I'll Teach You To Dance

**Prompt: **Prom Night

* * *

It was official. Sasha hated prom.

Sure, she didn't mind (much) when she was forced to sit on a chair for hours while people did God-knows-what to her hair and face and wear an unreasonably constricting (and not to mention overpriced) cocktail dress with a pair of heels for majority of her evening.

(She'll never admit that it _did_make her feel kind of pretty, but that was beside the point.)

She already planned on leaving as soon as the punch bowl was spiked (and right now she was pretty sure it was, she just had to stay for a bit longer just to make sure), avoid all the drunk dancers and gross couples making out on the dance floor, head home with Connie and spend the rest of her evening in the comfort of her bedroom alone on Netflix and scrolling through Tumblr.

Perfect plan.

Well it would've been perfect if her best friend hadn't left before her with his tongue shoved inside a girl's throat.

Granted, she did give him the push and advice he needed to work up the nerve to talk to her but seriously? Seriously Connie? Leaving her in the dust like that?

Whatever happened to bros before hoes?

She watched as the doors shut behind the couple with a roll of her eyes and a groan.

Don't get her wrong, she wasn't jealous or anything. The real problem was Connie had promised her parents that he would take her home.

Apparently he had someone else to take back home with him.

She didn't feel the need to bring her money with her (a choice she now regretted immensely), and walking the streets at night dressed like she was now? Alone? Yeah, might as well walk into a dark alley while she was at it.

With another groan she made her way to the table on the far end of the gym and served herself a glass of punch. She took a sniff of it and grumbled.

_Knew it._

She slammed the cup back on the table for some other poor bastard to drink and get intoxicated off and watched the dance floor.

A song by some boy band was playing, bass thumping loudly through the speakers and people jumping and dancing in the middle of the gym.

"Not your kind of scene?" a voice beside her suddenly says.

Sasha turned to it, revealing the owner to be none other than Jean Kirstein, Kicker of the football team and the person three ranks above her in the school's Top 10.

"Did Connie abandon you or something?"

"Well if you must know, he did." she tucked a stubborn lock of hair behind her ear before asking. "How about you? Having a good time?"

"Not really."

"Didn't have a chance with Mikasa?" she asked, referring to his obvious crush. Really there wasn't anyone in their batch that didn't know about his crush on the black-haired girl.

He nodded to the group of people in front of them. "See for yourself."

Sasha turned back to the dance floor, eyes searching for a familiar head of raven hair…only to find its owner in the arms of a certain Eren Jaeger.

She winced in empathy as she turned to him. "Sorry man."

Jean merely shrugged. "Well I pretty much saw this coming. Everyone did. It was only a matter of time before Jaeger got his head out of his ass and finally noticed she had feelings for him."

Sasha only nodded. The DJ suddenly decided to play a slow song, the familiar piano intro of _A Thousand Years_softly blaring through the speakers as couples held each other closer while singles left the dance floor only to return with a partner.

The first verse had begun to fade into the chorus when a hand suddenly appeared in front of her, making her quirk a brow. "Just what are you doing, Jean?"

_One step closer…_

"I'm asking you to dance, what else does it look like?"

She squinted at him. "Why?"

He rolled his eyes. "Coz that's what guys do when they're with a gorgeous girl at prom while a sappy song's on speakers."

When she squinted in reply he rolled his eyes again and grabbed her hand.

"Just dance with me already. It's awkward that we're the only two not dancing." He said as he dragged her towards the dance floor.

Sasha looked around her. He was right. She grumbled under her breath. "Fine."

When they reached a spot somewhere in the middle of the crowd Jean stopped, and Sasha took the cue to clasp her hands behind his neck as his gently held on to her waist.

They swayed awkwardly at first, still not completely used to being in such close proximity with each other. The song had reached its second verse when they finally found a comfortable pace and had unconsciously pulled each other closer.

Despite the closeness, their gazes drifted elsewhere refused to meet the other's.

Sasha suddenly laughed. When Jean raised a brow she shook her head. "This is just…" she let out another laugh. "So damn weird."

"And why is that?"

"Well for one thing we barely even know each other yet here we are." She tried to gesture with her shoulders and head as her hands were still around his neck. "I'm pretty sure that was the longest conversation we held outside of homework." Jean chuckled briefly, just a few puffs of air escaping through his nose as he smiled. They had shared that small fit of laughter for a few seconds when suddenly Sasha's eyes casted down to their shoes. "And well…I'm not exactly gorgeous so I don't see why you'd dance with me when there are tons of other girls here."

The silence was almost suffocating as it lasted a few moments too long. Sasha swallowed a lump in her throat, her hands just a few centimeters short from letting go of him.

He surprised her when he scoffed. "I meant what I said you know."

Her head snapped up so fast her vision almost blurred. "What?"

Jean looked away from her as his ears started to turn a soft shade of pink.

"You look beautiful tonight. I figured I won't be able to go home at without at least talking to you."

Sasha suddenly laughed again, both from disbelief and from the apparent improbability of everything, and maybe even at the disbelief _of_the improbability of it all.

"Now I could've sworn Mikasa was the only girl on your mind."

He suddenly turned to her. "I know a pretty girl when I see one Sasha."

"Shut up." She said, but her voice didn't have any malice in it.

"I'm just telling the truth."

Finally she let her gaze meet his, only to see him smiling at her.

"You're an idiot."

Instead of looking offended he grinned even wider. "First time I heard that from someone who isn't Jaeger or Coach Levi."

Sasha had unconsciously begun to lean in, and she failed to notice that Jean had been leaning in as well.

_Maybe prom isn't so bad after all…_

.

.

.

The Principal's voice had boomed from the speakers before they were able to come any closer.

"Good evening everyone! Now it's time to announce our Prom King and Queen!"

Somehow they had jumped away from each other far enough that they weren't in each other's arms anymore, but close enough that they could be if they wanted to.

Sasha looked away, at anything but him because really? You talk to a guy for the first time then lean up to kiss him just because he danced with you and called you pretty? Really Sasha?

_Way to deviate from all that rom-com shit you hated, Sasha. Good job._

Jean cleared his throat, prompting her to look back at him.

"I uh…"

"Sorry!" she squeaked, eyes slamming shut from pure mortification.

The principal's voice had long been droned out of her mind and the only thing she could hear aside from the mad beating of her heart was muffled applause and a strange white noise.

That was the exact reason why she was confused when she heard Jean's voice over all of it.

"Don't be. I was actually kinda disappointed."

She turned to him so fast she actually felt dizzy. "You what?"

Jean looked away from her this time and scratched the back of his ear. "But I figured I shouldn't do that at least until I take you out on a date." Suddenly he dropped his hand from behind his ear and faced her. "How does McDonald's sound?"

Sasha laughed upon realizing she was technically being asked out on a date. "Sounds great. When?"

"How about right now?" he nodded to the double doors of the gym with a grin.

"Why?"

"Well why not?" he grinned even wider.

She grinned the widest as she took his offered hand and let him lead her towards the door.

_Looks like I won't be going straight home after all._


	6. I Touch the Place Where I Find Your Face

**A/N: Been a while since I've been on this site. So I'll be cross-posting a couple one-shots from Tumblr to here for convenience. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Entry for JeanSasha Week 2015 Day 1 || ****Prompt: **Long Distance

* * *

"You can be _such_ an ass, you know that?"

Jean rolled his eyes at his girlfriend, wanting so bad to flick her on the forehead but deciding against it.

"At least I don't beat men at hot-dog eating contests." Sasha shoots a glower of sorts, and Jean only smirked. "Seriously, how the _fuck_ are you not having constipation or diarrhea or something? Wasn't Connie stuck on the toilet for like a week halfway through?"

Sasha wrinkled her nose as he set himself on his bed to a more comfortable position before adding, "Do you have a separate stomach in your backroom that teleports all the food you eat or is your stomach literally seventy percent of your entire body?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "You're lucky I love you, Jean." The look dropped as she breathed out a sigh. "Otherwise I would've beaten your pretty boy ass into the next week." She half-threatened, eyes casting downward.

"If you were here, at least." She muttered to the floorboards.

Jean reached over to touch her face, breathing out his own heavy sigh when his fingers met the cool glass of his laptop screen instead of her warm skin.

Jean reluctantly let his fingers slip off.

This wasn't the first time he's done that.

"It's only for three more months, Sash-"

"I know." She cut him off. "I know." She repeats, and really it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than anything else. "But I'm _allowed_ to miss you, right?" she says, eyes watering. She blinks back the moisture before sighing. "Do you have any idea how quiet it's been without you?"

"How do you think _I_ feel?" he asked, and the tone of his voice was more than enough to shut her mouth. "Do you honestly think I'm not unsettled by how full the fridge is here? How I don't get to hear your laugh first thing in the morning or eat your cooking? French food is great and all but really," Jean shrugged before heavily dropping his shoulders in a heavier sigh. "Nothing really compares to you, Sash."

The silence lasted for a moment or so before she suddenly laughed.

He spills his heart out to her for the first time in a while and she fucking _laughs_.

_This girl. Honestly._

Jean felt his ears burn and hoped his webcam was shitty enough to not pick it up for her to see.

"Alright, alright." He mumbled, and after a while she finally stops giggling.

"I can't help it, Jean!" she said as soon as she caught her breath. "That was just _way_ too corny. Has France been rubbing off on you that much?"

"No, I've always been this smooth." He said as he moved his line of focus from her face to the sunrise's light pouring in from her window. Her classes weren't until the afternoon. He stole a look at the watch on the corner of his laptop. **12:30am**.

He should really get some sleep soon.

The thought was soon erased when he hears her voice again, though.

"Hey Jean?"

.

.

.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning back to her.

.

.

.

"I love you."

His face broke into a smile Sasha considered goofy the first time she saw it, pretty much the look that's been reserved only for her.

Sleep could definitely wait for an hour or two or five.

He shifted his pillow around a little more to prop himself properly before replying.

"I love you too, Sasha."

* * *

**A/N: Title derived from Snow Patrol's _Set Fire To The Third Bar_. Also, YLISEE is under major reconstruction atm so I can't promise when I'll put up the next chapter. Thanks for reading! **


	7. Everything Was Blue

**Prompt**: Soulmate/Soulmarks

**Rating**: **T** for language and heavily implied intercourse. Characters are re-imagined to be of legal age in this scenario. Read with precaution.

* * *

Sasha was about eight years old when she learned about them.

The _soul marks._

It had been a usual day around the village when she overheard a group of girls a little older than she was talk about them.

Apparently, according to myth, whatever pain you felt would show up on your soul mate's skin but in blue. Anything from scars to bruises and even heartaches would show up on their skin as long as you felt it and vice-versa. However, soul marks were a very rare occurrence, and that they only truly happened if the gods themselves wanted two people to be together.

The retelling of the myth was soon followed by a round of excited squeals.

Sasha only scoffed.

She had never been the superstitious type to begin with. If her father had taught her anything, it was that growing up in Dauper meant fending for yourself. Using your own abilities to get through the day and honing your instincts to adapt. Things like fate weren't supposed to be in the picture. You made your own destiny.

And boys?

_Eww._

So when the group of girls started blatantly fantasizing about their own non-existent soul marks, Sasha turned away and brushed off the previous topic like spoiled hunt.

* * *

Until she finally saw them for herself none too long after that day.

Right there on the skin of her upper arm. The bruise of cerulean that stained over her skin like paint.

Sasha openly gaped at it for a second before rolling down the sleeve of her shirt to cover the offending mark.

She didn't dare fold up her sleeves for the entire month, even if it was the dead of summer.

* * *

As much as she tried to deny it, the truth still stared her right in the face.

The marks _scared _her.

Sasha knew for a fact that there were bigger, more terrifying things beyond the walls but this was something different.

Flesh-eating giants just seemed more like the stuff of fairy tales compared to the prints on her limbs and torso that she actually _saw _every day.

She would usually only get new marks every other day or so, and they were light enough that the next day they would fade away enough to not contrast so starkly with her skin.

But even so, the sight of a new bloom of sapphire would be more than enough to make her freeze in whatever she was doing.

What happened to him? Was he alright? Had he been eating properly lately?

Soon enough the questions of worry would soon mix in with some underlying guilt.

She had always been incredibly clumsy. Did he have bruises on his knees as well? Were his hands marred with scratches and calluses from all the archery training and hard labor she had subjected herself to?

And above all of the concern and remorse, amidst all the questions that plagued her mind on a regular basis, only one seemed to stand out the most.

Did he ever think of her as much she did of him?

* * *

It didn't take long for the news about Wall Maria to reach Dauper.

Sasha only tuned herself away from everyone's chattering, feeling her chest tighten at the mere thought of him being dead.

* * *

Two days later, she finds a new mark on her knee.

She couldn't help but tear up in relief at the sight of it.

* * *

Three years later she enlists in the military at the tender age of twelve, just a few weeks away from turning thirteen.

After the first day of 3D Maneuver Gear training, her body was aching all over and her head felt so dizzy from the new form of movement she had had trouble coordinating her feet to the mess hall.

Later in the girls' dorms, she found streaks of blue blending into the red left behind by her gear straps, making the most peculiar shade of purple stripe over her chest, torso, and legs.

Sasha felt her eyes widen.

_They enlisted as well?_

_What the hell was he thinking? _

* * *

Sasha later found out that she wasn't the only one who had to deal with soul marks.

Earlier in the day, Shadis had ordered to swap around sparring partners, leaving her against Krista and Connie with Ymir.

They did the usual hand-to-hand combat, and Sasha had managed a lucky sweep on Krista's legs that eventually took the smaller girl down.

Later that night she spots a patch of cerulean on Ymir's leg just below where the fabric of her trousers hitched up when she sat down.

Sasha only smiled knowingly to herself.

* * *

She would be lying if she said that she never tried to look for him.

Sasha had immediately crossed out anyone from Dauper considering that all the children there would get into accidents _every day _as opposed to the inconsistent appearance of her own marks.

So when she met Connie Springer, she actually thought she had met her soul mate.

They instantly became friends and bonded so well so fast. Why _wouldn't_ they be soul mates?

The thought was instantly banished with Connie approaching her with a black eye courtesy of his recent sparring session with Annie and with her finding no such mark on her face later that day.

Sasha couldn't help but lightly groan in disappointment.

* * *

The next few years practically blurred together, and in that incomprehensible span of time, Sasha was just too preoccupied with training and classes to gawk at new marks or actively search for her own bruises on someone else's skin.

The thought only came back to her right after she watched her comrades' bodies' burn in a mass cremation after the attack on Trost and after she had made her decision to join the Survey Corps.

She had retreated back to her room, the day's exhaustion finally sinking in deep into her bones as she changed out of her uniform.

And then she saw it.

A blue starburst the size of her fist on her chest, right where her heart was.

She only blinked at it blearily, finding that it, along with the large bruise on her collarbone, didn't bother her as much as she thought it would have.

_At least he was still alive._

That was more than enough for her already.

* * *

She practically missed the mark that stamped over her wrist like a vice, but when the morning had arrived, it had already faded away enough to be virtually unnoticeable.

* * *

She also didn't notice the way the mark on her chest grew after the 57th Expedition and after she found out that her comrades had been traitors the entire time.

* * *

It had been on the night before the Final Expedition for Shigashina.

Despite all her mindless hunger-driven impulses, Sasha still distinctly remembered biting Jean's hand when he and Connie tried to restrain her from devouring a whole roast.

Jean was the one who later untied her that night, along with some light scolding about table manners.

Sasha rubbed at her arms, glad to _finally _have the ropes off, and untied the kerchief they used to muzzle her as she turned to face Jean.

And then she saw it.

Small, blue, teeth-like dashes on her fingers.

Her eyes practically bulged out of their sockets at the sight of them, and air was suddenly being non-compliant in traveling through her lungs.

_No way._

"Something wrong, Potato Girl?"

Sasha shoved her hand into the pocket of her skirt with a shake of her head.

"Nope," She said, facing him.

"It's nothing."

* * *

One of the perks of being in Levi's new squad was that she had a room to herself. It wasn't much, only filled with the essentials, but it was still cozy compared to the barracks back when she was still in training.

But even with the comfortable bed under her and with her hair out of its ponytail, Sasha couldn't find it in herself to sleep.

The night was still young, it was barely even ten in the evening when she heard the door knock.

Sasha sat up instantly. "Who is it?" she asked, running a hand through her hair to make it a little more presentable as she sat herself down on the edge of the bed.

"It's me, Jean."

_Oh shit._

"Can I come in?"

Her throat felt dry as she swallowed.

"Yeah, sure."

She turned to the sound of the door opening yet she couldn't find the strength to stand up.

She was practically frozen in place.

Jean shut the door behind him and then locked it with a soft _click_.

_Shit._

Sasha eyed him warily as he approached her, acting none too different from the animals she used to hunt in the forest back in Dauper.

"Jean?"

His gaze practically banished all the oxygen in her lungs.

"It's you, isn't it?" he asked quietly. "You and me, yeah? We're supposed to be soul mates?"

So he knew now, huh?

Wait…

"How did you…?" she trailed off, curiosity getting the best of her.

Jean pointed to his jaw, showing small blue lines of laceration under his cheeks.

"Last time I checked, you were the only one who had to be gagged tonight. That and all the marks on my hands started to make fucking sense." He said bluntly.

Sasha caught sight of the archery calluses on his fingers, now alarmingly visible, and grabbed her own in insecurity all while refusing to make eye contact with him.

She swallowed back another lump in her throat.

"Are you disappointed?" she asked quietly.

"Yes."

The word stabbed through her chest like an arrow.

"I'm disappointed that I had to find out _now._"

She looked back up at him. He suddenly let out a bitter chuckle.

"I spent years wondering who I was linked to, and then it turns out that it had been someone who had been under my nose the entire time." He let out a heavy sigh. "We've even lived under the same roof for a while, goddammit."

Sasha only nodded in understanding.

"After years of looking for the one, it turned out to be someone who had always been by your side, who wouldn't be disappointed?

Silence lapsed between the two of them, neither daring to meet the other's eyes.

Sasha thumbed over the rough spot on her fingers, hands still on her lap. She cleared her throat. "So what now?"

"I don't know."

She finally decided to meet his gaze.

He had been looking at her with an expression she couldn't quite place. What she did notice, though, was the way his eyes just seemed to stare at her with warmth and the small, pained smile that pulled at his lips. Jean gestured to the space beside her. "Mind if I sit?"

Sasha nodded, scooting over a little to give him space. He occupied the area gracelessly, making the mattress bounce a little under the added weight. Jean let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Look," he started, dropping his hand. "I know all of this seems sudden and all but with the expedition and all, so I don't blame you if you don't want to…" he trailed off as he turned to her. "Maybe we can wait until after the mission?"

Sasha shook her head. "No, this isn't something we can just _put off_, Jean, or something we can just promise thinking we can actually fulfill it." She bit her lip and hesitated.

"I could die, Jean. Or worse," she swallowed the rock in her throat as the words quivered out of her mouth.

"_You _could die."

Jean looked like she might as well have slapped him, his expression looking nothing short of pained.

"I don't think I can live knowing my soul mate is dead, Jean, especially not when I just found him." Sasha continued, looking down. "So if you have anything to say, say it now. It might as well be the only time we have."

She looks up at the feeling of the roughness of his palm touching her cheek.

Jean only stared at her intently as the pad of his thumb brushed the tears she didn't even realize were streaming down her face. He didn't say anything, only maintaining eye contact.

And he didn't have to say anything.

Slowly, oh so gently, he used his other hand to gently pry apart the hands that were still clenched on her lap, taking the one he knew to have the worst calluses from using a bow and arrow to press his lips to them.

They had never really been close, Sasha knew that even if their assignment to Levi's squad made them bond.

Had it been anyone else, she would've frozen under their touch and pulled away from the contact as if they had burned her.

But instead she felt herself relax, instantly warming up to the contact as if it was natural to her.

And it was.

She was with him.

She finally found _him_.

And that was more than enough for her.

Jean pulled himself away from her hand though he kept holding onto it, once more meeting his gaze.

He didn't blush, and neither did she.

The action, in all its sudden intimacy, felt only one thing.

Right.

And right now, with the warmth of his palm on her cheek and with him just so close to her, she can't help but lean in closer.

Jean closes the distance between their lips just as fast.

It was soft, oh so soft, and Sasha wasn't even sure if that was what kisses should be like considering they never really had time to even _think_ about things like that when they spent their lives teetering on the edge of survival.

But they had tonight before they go back to any of that.

Tonight and right now.

She later found herself lying on her back with Jean on top of her, yet she didn't find it in herself to complain.

* * *

They spend the rest of the night pressing kisses on every mark on each other's skin like constellations, finding each one with as much ease as they would on their own skin.

Sasha later finds out that she left him with a stain of blue over his heart as well, just a few sizes smaller than the one he left on her. She gave it a small nip and relished in his groan as she pulled away.

"You're hair's gotten really shaggy…" she muttered as she ran her fingers through the ash brown locks.

Jean retaliated with a smirk and with kisses to her neck that soon made their way down her bare chest. He paused before the starburst he imprinted there, gently running the tips of his fingers over it before pressing his lips to it, more like a promise than anything else.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, looking back up at her.

She lightly shushed him.

"No, none of that."

Jean gives her a smile, one that she knew would only be reserved for her.

"I love you, then."

Before Sasha was able to reply, he moved his lips down even lower and by then she was much too enthralled by his touch to even think coherently.

"I love you." They somehow managed to breathe in unison.

They spent the rest of the night proving to each other how much they did for the first time.

It might have well been the last.

* * *

In the morning, they both failed to notice that the marks on their chests grew considerably smaller than they used to be.

* * *

**A/N: This was actually one of my favorite one-shots and not to mention I actually finished up most of the story in less than a couple hours. Hurray for random bursts of inspiration, amirite?**

**Title derived from _Colors_ by Halsey. **

**Also sorry this isn't the next chapter for YLISEE I'm seriously still working on it orz **


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